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“COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 643
Peter was extremely exafperated againft Sophia, and once determined to put her to
death; but having changed his refolution, compelled her to affume the veil. ‘To
{trike her with terror, and announce to the public that he thought her privy to the
rebellion, two hundred and thirty Strelitz were hanged withing fight of the nunnery
in which fhe was confined, and three of the ringleaders {ufpended upon a gibbet erected
clofe to the window of her apartment * ; they held in their hands petitions fimilar to
that which, according to the confeffion of the Strelitz, was to have been prefented to
Sophia.
From this period hiftory is filent in relation to Sophia: fhe was confined under a
{tri guard in the monaftery until her death, in July 1704. She was interred in the
church of the convent ; the tomb is covered with a black cloth, and contains this in-
fcription: “ A.M. 7212 (or 1704 of the Chriftian era) on the third of July, died
Sophia Alexiefna, aged forty-fix years, nine months, and fix days; her monaftic name
was Sufanna. She had been a nun five years, eighth months, and twelve days: fhe
was buried the fourth in this church, called the Image of Smolenfko. She was daugh-
ter of Alexéy Michaelovitch, and of Maria Ilinitchna.”’
Although Peter always fufpected the intrigues of his fifter, yet he never failed
paying a juft tribute to her genius and abilities. ‘* What a pity,” he was frequently
heard to fay, ‘‘ that fhe perfecuted me in my minority, and that I cannot repofe any
confidence in her! otherwife, when I am employed abroad, fhe might govern at
home f.”
One ftriking feature in Sophia’s character, which I had no opportunity of mention-
ing, while my inquiry was chiefly confined to her political condu€&t, muft not be
omitted. She deferves the veneration of pofterity for patronizing perfons of genius
and learning, and encouraging, by her own example, the introduction of polite litera-
ture into Ruflia, then plunged in the deepeft ignorance. At a period when there was
no national theatre, and when the loweft buffooneries, under the name of moralities,
were the fole dramatic reprefentations even at court, this elegant Princefs tranflated the
Medecin malgré lui of Moliere into her native tongue, and performed one of the cha-
racters herfelf. She alfo compofed a tragedy, probably the firft extant in the Ruffian
language; and fhe compofed it at a time when the moft violent cabals were excited
again{t her miniftry, and when the moft weighty affairs feemed to engrofs her fole
attention.
* Gordon, p.95,130. Korb, who faw them hanging, fays, ‘ Tam prope ad ipfas Sophiani cubiculi
feneftras, ut Sophia eofdem manu facile poflet attingere.”? On this occafion above two thoufand Strelitz
fuffered capital punifhment. Peter broke at the fame time the whole body of Strelitz, and abolifhed their
name.
+ This anecdote, which I received from Volkonfki, is confirmed by a paflage in Perry’s State of
Ruffia. ‘ I remember that upon acertain occafion, when mention was made of lier [i. e. Sophia], the
Czar himfelf gave her this character, that fhe was a princefs endowed with all the accomplifhments of
body and mind to perfection, had it not been for her boundlefs ambition, and infatiable defire of govern-
ing”? Vol. i, p. 138.
4N 2 CHAP. |
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